


Dreams of Life, Thereafter

by SevenSwans



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Do I look like I know what I'm doing, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:07:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25678591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenSwans/pseuds/SevenSwans
Summary: “A complete stranger has the capacity to alter the life of another irrevocably. This domino effect has the capacity to change the course of an entire world. That is what life is; a chain reaction of individuals colliding with others and influencing their lives without realizing it.”― J.D. StroubeBiggs dreams of saving a dying planet. Leigh dreams of finding her purpose.A story of how these two dreams intertwine over time.
Relationships: Biggs (Compilation of FFVII)/Original Character(s), Biggs (Compilation of FFVII)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Midgar had always been a city of contrasts. If you looked at it from far away or simply relied on the advertising used to attract tourists, you would never know it. 

From afar, the city was bright, sleek and modern, and a glowing testament to the power of modern energy and modern industry. Energy was easily and readily available, convenience allowing all kinds of scientific leaps forward in the last thirty years. Jobs, easily available for the qualified candidate, seductively drawing in only the best of the best from around the world. Warm, safe and secure homes. A beacon of hope for the future of humanity.

Except if you looked closer, you might begin to notice that this wasn’t the case. Pay attention to the small details and you might notice that there were almost no trees or flowers. Those that were planted soon withered away to nothing. More noticeable when it had first started, no-one batted an eye these days at the dried husks of flowers that rustled in the breezes. Greenery was uncommon in Midgar, though not altogether unheard of. And where did those who performed the tasks that the modern city deemed below it keep coming from? Those who cleaned, those who catered, those people ordinarily invisible, the smallest specks. If you were to watch, you would see them surge up from below each morning and return underneath each night.

If you looked even closer, you would see that there was another side to Midgar, another layer entirely. Below the sleek metal, brick and pipes that were everywhere on the plate, another world existed entirely. A tougher world, where the simple act of survival was all that was on some people's minds. Where the dream was simply to make it topside, no matter what you were doing. A person could spend their whole life trying to find the right opportunity and still never find it. 

Travelling between the plates always brought the reality of it home to Biggs. And right now, he was well and truly between the plates. Almost like a third layer, only not quite. Between the plates was a hidden access up to topside, if you knew where to look. Fortunately, he’d spent enough time with AVALANCHE’s intel guy going over schematics to know exactly where to look. Shaking the spray can in his hand now, he applied one last set of marks to the tunnel wall, then stepped back carefully to admire his handiwork. A simple smiley face blending into its surroundings, easy to overlook if you weren’t specifically looking for it. That would be enough.

Hopefully Finn wouldn’t completely overlook things when it was his turn. Stuffing the spray can into a small bag and then into his satchel, he scanned around for a moment, looking for somewhere discreet to change back into civilian clothes. Jessie had provided him with an ID that _should_ work. Biggs grimaced, looking at the photo; For the next hour or so he would be Diego Everett, model Shinra employee. Under the fluorescent light of the tunnels, he checked his clothing for flecks of paint, telltale blue splatters that might incriminate him. Finding none and spying a side tunnel, he slipped into the relative darkness, changed and made his way topside to the nearest station to board a train back down. 

  
  


***

Barely making it, he yanked his satchel in as the doors hissed shut behind him. He smirked to himself, allowing himself a moment to celebrate a minor victory. Standing by the door, he began adjusting the straps keeping the satchel shut to hide it’s precious cargo, when he caught a flash of something bright against the light cast by a muted Midgar sun. He looked down the carriage as the train began to move.

Midway down a young woman with hair braided and pinned up was flipping the page on a novel, chewing her lip absently. Likely on her way home after work, judging from the nondescript clothes she was wearing. It was the colour of her hair that had caught his attention first- uniquely, coppery bright and currently looking like fire under the natural sunlight, lighting up her pale skin. He should have looked away then and there but he looked closer, intrigued by her face. Unaware she was being watched, her expression shifted rapidly, focusing on whatever was happening in the pages of the book. A look of intense concentration shifting into surprise, and then a small snort of joy upon turning the page again.

Most people on the trains in Midgar adopted a studied attitude of emotional blankness when they commuted, avoiding eye contact with all around them, so this fascinated him. Biggs thought for a moment about making his way down the quiet carriage to ask her what had her so engrossed, but thought better of it. He’d heard Jessie complain enough times about creeps on the train.

Another turn of the page, and then an audible gasp escaped her. At which point he snapped his eyes away, trying to focus his attention elsewhere.

Clearing his throat, he concentrated instead on the ads running along the top of the carriage. He must have coughed a little too loudly, trying to cover the awkwardness he felt- from the corner of his eye he saw her look up and over at him. He furrowed his brow, and studiously focused on the ad -for a dating service of all things- directly across from him, until her gaze returned to the pages of the thriller she was reading. 

At the next station the train had absolutely filled with people making the rush hour commute, and he had no idea if she had remained on board after that. Still, the goofy teenage boy in him was happy, and he felt a little more relaxed as the train continued along, beginning to dip back under the plate and around the main column as it made its way to the Sector Seven Undercity.

***

“Biggs my man, it is good to see you! What brings you down to this dark neck of the woods?” An unkempt man, barely more than a youth, stepped out from the shadows of the tunnels. 

It had been a week since Biggs had been down here spraying markers. In the run-up to their first mission, he’d taken it upon himself to go through every stage of the operation multiple times. That morning their quartermaster had finally had enough of him questioning her again as to whether the pistols she’d procured for them were fine; She’d practically thrown him out of Seventh Heaven on his ass, to the amusement of Jessie. So he’d found himself here in the tunnels again, following through back-up plan after back-up plan, ensuring everything would run smoothly. Following the trail of freshly painted Shinra beagles that covered the smiley faces he’d painted a week before. Noses leading to where he now stood. 

“Just checking on you Finn. Making sure everything’s going to plan still.” Biggs waved up the stairs, then started climbing as the younger man added his finishing touches, the smell of paint pervading his nostrils. Finn laughed at him.

“Nellie threw you out of the armoury again huh? You worry too much bro. This is the last one here- piece of cake!”

Reaching him midway up the iron stairwell, Biggs leaned against the railing, arms folded and admired Finn’s handiwork. He gave a low whistle at the painting, still very much blending in with the surrounding graffiti, secretly revealing the way to those in the know. It had been a stroke of poetic genius on Wedge’s part. Not bad at all.

Finn looked sideways at him.

“So, you think you guys’ll need this?” 

He shrugged. “With any luck, no. But there’s no such thing as being too careful as far as the mission’s concerned. Thanks again for this.” Biggs gestured at the wall they were facing. “You gonna be okay getting back out of here?” Finn smirked at him, pushing off from the railing and gathering cans.

“These tunnels are like my canvas, half the stuff you see round here is mine. So yeah, I’ll be fine.” He gave a lazy wave to Biggs “Take it easy bro”, then slid past him, down the stairs, and back into the network of side tunnels between the plates.

Biggs waited for a moment, then set off in the opposite direction. He was close to topside, might as well make the most of it.

***

After a couple of hours of walking through topside breathing clean air, Biggs made his way to the station again, more than ready to head home. _Diego’s_ ID tag sat in his pocket. He’d watched the people walking through Sector 5 with a growing sense of dissatisfaction. Did they know how people below lived? He watched a well dressed child, crying in the arms of its equally well dressed mother at some perceived slight, and couldn’t help but remember the children he’d looked after in the slums, prior to joining up with the other members of AVALANCHE. 

He missed them. It was that simple. He missed the days when things were simpler. Before he knew that the Planet was dying, and he needed to help. He still went back to the Leaf House orphanage sometimes, and they all still seemed happy to see him, _‘and the snacks’_ , he reminded himself. Maybe after this was all over he could go visit them and tell them they’d all get to live their lives peacefully without the looming threat of the Planet’s lifeblood drying up.

Shaking himself out of this train of thought, he reached the station, scanned his fake ID through and was on the platform just in time to see a rush of people ahead of him all making for the same train he was. ‘ _Ah damn’._ He must have timed things poorly. _‘Too late now.’_ He barely squeezed through the doors before they shut. Looking back and inhaling deeply he almost choked in surprise as he turned inwards.

If he was being honest, he’d all but forgotten about her the week before. But there she was again, stood clinging with one hand to a handrail by the door, directly in front of him. This close he could make out more this time.

Long lashes obscuring eyes that were down turned, absorbed in a different book to the one she had the last time he’d seen her. A small doll-like mouth with soft, peach petal lips. Hair in a long low ponytail that rested over her shoulder, curls cascading down her chest, loose tendrils escaping around her face to frame her features. She was wearing a loose cardigan that slipped off of one shoulder exposing the skin not covered by her sundress, and for a moment he felt a protective urge to reach and pull the sleeve back up her arm.

He was reining himself back in, listing all the reasons why he was wrong for thinking these thoughts about a woman whose name he didn’t even know, when two things happened simultaneously. 

Firstly, as if aware she was being watched, she looked up and for a moment he thought he saw a flash of blue under her lashes. 

Secondly, the train lurched into life; She lost her footing and stumbled nose first into his chest. He felt her face connect, as well as heard a small squeak of embarrassment from her before she collected herself and found her balance. A hand gripped firmly to the front of his shirt as she steadied herself, before she released and stood fully again.

Redness radiated across her cheeks, disappearing up into her hairline. The woman before him stuttered, her large eyes round in surprise. “I uh, I’m really sorry about that! I guess I wasn’t paying enough attention to my surroundings.”

With her actually looking at him he could see her properly now. 

_‘Oh shit_ . _She’s cute_.’

“No worries, you looked pretty cosy there with whatever it is you’re reading. Are you okay now?”

“I’m…fine.” She laughed, nervously. Biggs felt his neck begin to burn in embarrassment as he looked down. “Sometimes I just get lost when I get absorbed in a good book.” Smiling still, she offered the book up at him to see the title. “I um... would you like to see what I’m reading?” 

The cover was old, and well loved, with a deep crease in the spine. He took it for a brief moment, incredibly aware of the residual warmth lingering on the cover where her fingers had been on the book. He took a moment to discern its title then passed it back.

“LOVELESS huh? That’s a real popular choice these days. My friend loves the play. She’s always quoting lines at me when she’s got a few drinks in her.” He spoke warmly, recalling Jessie’s familiar voice with a sight slur to it.

The gray-blue eyes of the woman in front of him brightened then.

“Ah, yes! It’s so well written though, the language just comes alive and when you read it, it’s as though you’re there!” She paused for a split second before asking: “Have you ever read it?”

A momentary flash passed in Biggs’ memory of a shockingly intact copy of the same book in his small shelf back home in the Sector Seven Undercity, tucked away forgotten next to the planetary science texts. Somewhat shamefully he admitted:

“I tried to once, years ago, but I kind of bounced off of it. Couldn’t get into it back then.”

“Maybe you should give it another go? I couldn’t get into it at all when they tried to teach us it as a kid, but I came back to it after and it was like looking at it fresh! There’s just such a profound sadness to the story. And the way the characters are written! They’re so maturely handled, it’s no wonder kids struggle with it. The way that the hero behaves at the end is just-” She stopped herself for a moment. “Sorry. Sometimes when I talk about things I really enjoy I get carried away.” She looked shyly away, eyes shifting to the side as she fidgeted awkwardly, as though she was waiting for him to mock her.

Biggs gave her a reassuring smile. “Hey, nothing to apologise for when you’re passionate about something. Why don’t you tell me a bit more about it?” 

***

The rest of the ride passed smoothly as the train made its descent back into the undercity. People stepped on and off at various points, but the train stayed full. The two made animated talk about books. Both of them well versed in different areas, finding a common ground in tales and texts about the Planet. It had been a long time since he’d been able to talk to someone who wasn’t directly related to AVALANCHE or his cover in the Neighbourhood Watch, and he relished the opportunity. They swapped recommendations, just as the train began to slow as it pulled into the final station, the Sector Seven Undercity. Home. 

The crowd pushed forward and away from the platform as the doors opened, and the two were separated for a moment before disembarking. She stepped off of the train behind him and tucked her copy of LOVELESS away into her bag as he rocked back and forth on his feet. Biggs watched as she turned to head down the path that led back down to the slums. Had she always lived here? He imagined he would have seen her a lot sooner if she had. Before his mind kicked in, he found himself blurting a question.

“Hey, are you new around here?” The still nameless woman tilted her head and with a voice containing a warm challenge, responded

“Oh, is it that obvious?”.

“W-well, I ah…”

She gave him a teasing smile. “I moved here a month ago. I’m still trying to find my bearings. Still trying to figure out what I want to do. You?” 

Finally working up the courage to return her smile, Biggs felt himself finally relaxing again. “Born and raised. I hope you like it here. We’re a little rough around the edges in these parts, but we’ve got each other’s backs when it counts.” 

“Good to know! Thanks. And for the conversation. It’s… it’s been a while.”

She turned to leave again, but couldn’t have gotten more than five metres before she spun back around, and in a more relaxed manner than he’d seen previously, she called to him.

“My name’s Leigh, by the way. I’ll see you around!” 

She waved, and then she was gone, lost to the crowd while Biggs stayed rooted to the spot for a brief moment.

Then he took a deep breath and mentally gave himself a stern reminder

“Get it together man, you’ve got work to do.”

Automatically he began to follow the familiar path back towards the slums he called home. He needed to check in at the Neighbourhood Watch station to make sure there weren’t any last minute jobs that needed looking at. No monsters to clear from the boulevard, or construction work that needed his presence. Whether working as part of the watch was a front for his other activities with AVALANCHE or not, he still took his responsibilities with it seriously. 

If AVALANCHE didn’t return from the Reactor Number 1 bombing mission, he at least wanted to make sure that there weren’t going to be any problems with the local monsters for a while. 

Fortunately, after arriving at the building he learned it had been a quiet day. With no incidents reported, and with nothing else left to do there, he left the room above the weapons shop and made his way over to Seventh Heaven. The sunlamps overhead had begun to dim to indicate the days end, and he was hungry. Hopefully Tifa was feeling generous. That morning she’d mentioned that she knew someone looking for work who might be able willing to assist them, in a stroke of good fortune. Who knew what else might happen?

Passing his house, he paused for a moment before doubling back and going inside. There on the shelf was his fresh copy of LOVELESS. His fingers paused for a moment over the top of the book, pulling it out from between heavier volumes and tucking it under his shoulder. He needed something to keep him occupied while Jessie and Wedge argued over the dart board, and he’d always found reading helped him escape his tendency to overthink things. Biggs was all too aware of the memory device stowed away in his pockets, its presence a reminder of all the plans and details he needed to go over later that night. He reminded himself that he’d already done everything he could think of, and that until they actually went ahead with the mission, that they wouldn’t know how things would turn out.

The mission. The planet. The people who relied on him. A keen mind with a desire to learn and challenge the status quo had led him to where he found himself now. Born and raised in the slums of Midgar, Biggs had devoured every book he could as a child at the Leaf House. As he’d grown older, Biggs had felt drawn to the study of the Planet. Looking at how green the area around sector 5 was, he had always been in awe of how life managed to cling and flourish even there in the half light under the incomplete plate. He’d noticed from a young age that this wasn’t always the case under the plate. Certain scientific philosophers had supported the theory that the planet itself was a living thing, and that Mako itself was its lifeblood. 

It wasn’t until he’d attended a rally arguing against Shinra’s continuous expansion across the globe that he’d really turned though.He’d seen the name AVALANCHE on flyers posted here or there, but until he met Barret he’d no idea how he could contribute to making the planet safe and able to continue living. After meeting him and being convinced of the urgency and integrity of the man, Biggs had quit teaching at the orphanage. He moved to the Sector Seven slums and joined the Neighbourhood watch as a cover, along with his friend Wedge. And now here he was. Three days away from the most dangerous thing he’d ever done in his life. If it worked, things might finally start to change.

His musings carried him almost to the door of Seventh Heaven. They’d all agreed to this one last meeting to discuss Tifa’s friend and go over the plan one last time before heading for the train station at the appointed time. Better make it count. People were relying on his plans to find a way to the reactor, and each one needed to be airtight. 

With a large sigh Biggs entered the bar, nodded to the others and settled in with the book he’d grabbed as he waited for the others to arrive. It would be a long night to come.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night of the first bombing mission.

Leigh had been in the city for all of a month, and was finally starting to get a feel for things. The pace of life was faster here, the small things that got people through the day entirely foreign to her. It was a vastly different place to the one she’d left behind. She still occasionally felt pangs of homesickness; Marron was a small town, and she missed seeing a familiar face wherever she went. She loved her home, but had always felt a sense of aimlessness there. She had worked odd jobs here and there whilst still living in Marron to make money. Nothing had ever called to her as her life’s true purpose, the way it had to the people around her. So here she was now, one of countless thousands who called the city their home. 

She rolled her shoulders to relieve some of the stiffness in them. Oh Gods she ached. Finding work had been harder than she thought, but she was content to take any odd jobs that presented themselves; Part-time cleaning offices on the upper plate; Occasional delivery girl in the slums. She’d considered at one point seeing what bar work was available in Wall Market, until she actually visited the place to inquire. 

And now here she was, waitressing for some private event in Sector Eight. The pay wasn’t much, but she had been promised food and a share of any tips that were around at the end of the night. One of the first things she’d learned after moving to the city- never turn down a free meal. From across the room she locked eyes with the girl she’d been partnered with for the night and gave a nod of acknowledgement. Slightly younger than her, and from the Sector Five Undercity, the two had been at odds at first. The younger, Sadie, being unsure how to teach someone older than her, and the older slightly overwhelmed by the amount of information she was being given at once. Leigh struggled to work out what information was relevant at first, and what information was, actually, just gossip and conjecture on Sadie’s part. She had been reminded of her neighbour back in Marron- a light-hearted, friendly and vibrant girl who made friends easily.

The event in question was a launch event for a minor software company that worked on some kind of security systems for Shinra. There had been a presentation earlier in the evening, but Leigh hadn’t paid that much attention. She had at the time been trying to fend off the advances of a much older man who’d decided to try and use his power to impress and intimidate her. She’d noted to herself that the rich remained pretty much the same, wherever you were from.

The evening drew to a close, and Leigh found herself waiting outside of the building she had been working in after everything had shut down for the night. The air was cool, and despite the smog of the city, clearer than expected. 

Shivering, she pulled the thin material of her jacket around her. She’d agreed to wait for Sadie so that they could walk to the station together for safety, but she’d been waiting a while now. In an attempt to ignore the chill in the air, Leigh began to daydream. In vivid colour the incident on the train came unbidden to her mind, heartbeat racing a little with embarrassment. The man she had solidly crashed into had seemed nice enough, and more than willing to entertain her awkward small talk about books, to her relief. She supposed it had helped that he wasn’t altogether unattractive, with something slightly roguish to his countenance. Definitely something she’d not seen back home, where all of her peers had been earnest and open. 

At that point, a car flew past her bringing with it a gust of cool night air heavy with the scent of fuel, the sensation shocking her out of the daydreams she was entertaining. She cursed and turned to the side door she’d been standing across from just as she saw Sadie’s blonde hair finally appear. The girl gave her an apologetic smile and they set off for the station together as they felt a strong rumbling from the ground beneath them, causing them to stumble momentarily. Leigh looked over at the blonde as she looked nervously back, righting herself. That had been unusual- she realised she’d also heard the rattling of windows, not something she expected in this district. They stood for a moment before shrugging it off as the movement of the trains, when in the distance they heard a loud boom.

Turning to look down the street in the direction of the sound, Leigh watched in terror as Mako Reactor One exploded.

Rumbling emanated from the reactor as a ring of explosions wound its way up the main column, reaching the top of the funnel and increasing in size, before a plume of green light lit up the night sky, as though a scream of rage from the planet itself. The light guttered and died out as violent explosions rocked the ground beneath, sending debris scattering. At ground level, a dark, formless wave seemed to emanate outwards, consuming all in its path. As it neared them, Leigh realised with horror that it was a dust cloud that would envelop them in seconds.

Grabbing Sadie's arm she dragged her into an alley and behind a dumpster just as the wave screamed through. The ground shifted and all around, lights snapped into darkness that threatened to engulf and overwhelm the pair, seeming to show no sign of ever ending. The sounds of glass shattering and metal seemingly howling in pain as it was torn up added to a cacophony of noise that deafened the two women cowering in the alley, eyes screwed shut and noses and mouths covered by their jackets. Fire seemed to exude from Leighs throat.

All was blackness and roaring as she lost herself in that moment. Leigh lost herself as the sound of her own screams filled her ears.

*** 

For the third time in twenty minutes, Biggs checked his gun’s safety. So far things had gone off without a hitch. With any luck it would remain that way. They’d encountered some resistance, but the Mercenary- _Cloud. His name is Cloud-_ he corrected himself, had cleared it with ease. The difference between a professional and their amateur hour operation, he supposed. But they were in, and now here he was, keeping an eye on Wedge out on the walkway from the room he was standing in now. According to the plans he’d gone through, they had roughly half an hour before the next round of guards was due to relieve the now disposed-of guards. He thought he’d heard a groan from the one on the ground near him. Cursing, he gave the offender a swift kick before they settled back into silence. 

This violence wasn’t new to him. It wasn’t just wildlife that the neighbourhood watch had to keep an eye out for, but a sense of unease at the situation still gnawed away at him. It was a far cry from Biggs’ days with Leaf House. Even if he was doing it for their future. He didn’t know how much of a difference it would make, but this had to buy the planet some time. 

_Biggs you’re getting ahead of yourself. Focus on the mission. What do you need to take care of if the others don’t come back up?’_

He checked his gun again, and from outside he heard a sneeze. He froze, before realizing it was Wedge. The anxiety he held in check faded slightly. Mentally he reminded himself _‘I’m not alone. We have each other’s backs. Always have.’_

How long had it been now? Biggs checked the time and groaned. It hadn’t been five minutes yet and it already felt like his time watching the door alone had stretched on forever. Then the ground beneath his feet rumbled, and he hoped that whatever was going on down there, Jessie had had the sense to stay back from it. Let the new guy handle it. Barret he was less worried about; He already knew the man could handle himself. He’d known Jessie as long as he’d known Wedge, the girl often visiting them in their youth and bringing gifts for the orphanage from her parents. Even though they all knew what they were getting into, the thought of losing any of them filled him with a level of dread he tried to quash.

A louder rumbling came again fifteen minutes later.Without thinking he looked out to where he could still see Wedge standing. Who had also felt the rumbling this time and looked back at him. Biggs could just make out his grin and trademark thumbs up. Then an explosion rocked them both. 

_Ah shit. Here we go_. Biggs signalled to Wedge to be ready to move. If he was right, they needed to be ready to haul ass. The elevator door began to open. Pointing his gun at the door with steely determination, he was relieved to see Jessie burst through. She stopped, suddenly seeing the gun pointed in her direction and snapped as she typed frantically at a monitor, not meeting his eyes.

“You mind pointing that thing elsewhere?” 

“Where’s Barret? And Cloud?” Biggs saw Jessie bite her lip for a second.

“They were right behind me. They should be up any moment now.” The nervous look on her face as she answered him did little to relieve the growing unease. Around them, their surroundings were continually rattling now, and the entire room shook with the force of another violent explosion. The place was going to go at any moment. 

Just as Biggs was getting ready to go down there and pull whoever was left to safety, he heard the lift door ping, and threw himself into cover with his pistol ready. He was immensely relieved when he saw two familiar figures sprint from the lift towards his position at the door. 

He sighed with relief as the doors to the exit slid open, and sprinted for the exit with the others, his mission completed. Around them the reactor sparked and flamed as they finally reached cover in the emergency tunnels, the wall lights going dark around them.

***

The first thing Leigh became aware of was ringing, overwhelming any other sound that might try to infiltrate. Beyond that everything was muffled, as though her ears had been plugged up. She felt, more than heard, the vibrations of sound around her as the fierce wind that had threatened them began to subside and fade into nothingness, dissipating as quickly as it had formed. As awareness began to form again, she felt the press of stone against her cheek.

Leigh had been knocked to the ground. Tentatively reaching to check herself, she was relieved to find no missing limbs, or injuries more severe than bruising, at a guess. Wincing, she climbed to her knees as the shaking in her body settled to a low tremor, she scanned around for signs of anyone else. Sound seemed to rush back in, just as she heard Sadie’s repeated cries beside her. Her hand reached out.

“Oh please, please, please, I don’t want to die, please don’t let me die”, the younger repeated over and over, barely more than a breath. She flinched when Leigh touched her. 

“Sadie, Sadie look at me. Look at me.” Focussing on this was helping Leigh avoid going into shock herself, and forcing her to ignore the nausea pooling heavily in her stomach. “Sadie, come on. You’re alive, you’re still alive. Come on.” She rubbed Sadie’s shoulder in a soothing motion, until she heard Sadie’s breathing slow, and the worst of the trembling had subsided. 

They stood together and surveyed each other for further injury. Both covered in dirt, with a cut to Sadie’s cheek, Leigh imagined this must be what an apocalypse felt like. Holding hands as if to reassure themselves of the reality of things, the two women slowly made their way to the main street. Emergency lights flickered back into life, lending the world around them an eerie glow.

The once familiar street lay in front of them. Rubble lay scattered amidst upended cars, picked up and discarded by the whims of fate. The glass Leigh had heard shattering was everywhere here as they picked their way through the street to a clearing. They had been lucky it hadn’t rained down on them. Huge cracks had appeared in the concrete of the road. The street itself was deserted.

Emergency sirens began to wail. The world had ended, and yet somehow she was still alive.

“What do we do?” In all of the chaos Leigh had almost forgotten Sadie was there. The young girl sniffed next to her. 

Drawing in a deep breath Leigh racked her brains, feeling her mind desperately try to cut through the fog of shock. 

“We head for the station. We get there as quickly as we can. We get out and go home. We go home.” Leigh felt surprised by how calm and determined she sounded. In truth, inside she felt like she was going to fall apart at a split second’s notice. “Sadie, which way will get us to the main station quickest? Concentrate now.” She could see her newfound ally thinking for a minute, before she tentatively spoke.

“If we cut through the plaza near the theatre district we might get through a little quicker?” Leigh gave her a weak smile as she gathered herself mentally. “Then that’s what we’ll do. Let’s go.” 

The two began to make their way as quickly as they could towards the theatre district, but found that several military roadblocks cut them off. As they looked for routes around, a faint popping could be heard in the distance, and the echo of yells. Leigh shook it off as best she could, and together the two women continued on, crossing through streets lined with people in various states of shock and confusion, some verging on catatonic. She could see paramedics attending to the injured, and was thankful that her and Sadie were not worse off.

They passed buildings that seemed engulfed in flame and some that leaned sadly like the remnants of fallen trees. The city itself had taken an almighty beating. They passed one street, and Leigh had to stop to be sick. The earlier weight and sourness of her nausea was brought to the forefront as they witnessed emergency services digging through the rubble of an entirely collapsed row of houses, distressed families nearby weeping as still bodies were exhumed from the chaos. 

The world funnelled into one endless march towards the station as they seemed to join a march of people evacuating the former safety of the lives topside. With no small amount of relief Leigh began to see the familiar lights and signs of the Sector 8 station. They had made it. Almost stumbling through, the two swapped addresses before separating at the barriers for their respective platforms. Both swore to visit each other to make sure they were okay after the dust settled. And then Leigh was alone. Outside, she thought she heard a loud noise, but she could barely focus. 

Blankly, wearily Leigh shuffled towards her platform. Around her, panicked upper plate residents and weary workers all surged towards the barrier. She had almost passed though when she spotted, amongst the chaos and rush, a small child at the edge of things. The boy couldn’t have been older than ten, and looked out of place by virtue of his clothes. Kids like him were a dime a dozen down below, but up here they marked him as out of place. Not belonging, like her. The boy was in a state of distress, and no-one else seemed to be paying any attention. She sighed, mustering her most reassuring smile and slowly approached him, to avoid causing an alarm. 

“Hey. Are you okay? Is there someone you’re waiting for?” The boy looked up, panicked. 

“I- he” He sobbed “my friend Evan, I snuck up here with him to see what it was like and he, he” The boy burst into tears “I don’t, I don’t know w-where he is, and he was supposed to help me get back and and-” more tears. Leigh panicked a bit. She’d never been great with children, and this situation was making it hard to think straight. She crouched down to his level and put a hand gently on his shoulder. 

“It’s okay. I’m sure he’s fine. He’s probably already back home and safe.” The small quivering shoulder under her hand began to settle.

“Y-you think so?” Reddened eyes looked questioningly at her.

She grinned again, forcing a sincerity to the expression that she didn’t quite believe. “Count on it. I bet he’s already home stuffing his face.” Finally, the boy stopped crying. “I’m Leigh. What’s your name kid?”

The boy sniffed, but remained silent.

“Okay kid, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll get you wherever you need to go, if you promise not to cry anymore, okay?” 

“Really? You mean it?”

“I do. It’s a promise.” She nodded, and the boy returned the nod as she held out her hand for him to take.

***

As it turned out, he was also from the Sector Seven Undercity. “ _Thank heavens for small blessings_ ”, she thought to herself as they boarded the train at the back end, waved through lazily by a conductor who was barely paying attention. The last train of the night, boarded in shared silence by those who had the fortune to make it. Those who made eye contact with each other all seemed to share the same grim look of fear, whether returning to their homes, or being forced from them to below the plate. Leigh and the boy boarded, and found a seat in the middle of the carriage. She took a moment to look at the people across the carriage. They looked as tired and exhausted as she felt.

People began to speak in hushed voices around them. Whispers of suggestions from some that the explosion was no accident. That it had been planned by terrorists. Others still thought it was a safety test gone wrong. She even heard one voice saying it was a conspiracy by Shinra itself. She looked down at her small companion, who was visibly paying attention to every word around him. _‘A kid shouldn’t be hearing this’_. Reaching into her bag, battered but still holding together, she pulled a book from the front pocket, and gave him a nudge. 

“Hey, do you like fairy tales?” She watched him wrinkle his nose. He answered in the way that children often did when they weren’t sure they were going to enjoy what was coming.

“You mean like with kings and princes? Or do you mean princess-y ones?” A note of disgust. 

“Well, actually, these ones are about a moogle. You ever read The Adventures of Mog? My mother used to read these all the time to me.” She opened the book and turned to the first chapter, waiting for his approval before starting.

“Mog was a clever little moogle, who lived in a house in Mog Forest, on Mt. Mog. One day…”

***

Leigh read to him for a while in this fashion, and she was relieved when he started to relax, and leaned on her arm as she read. It soothed her to read aloud. Concentrating on the page, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d done so. Noticing that the people around her were listening furtively, she continued on for a short time, even when she heard the boy fall asleep.

Closing the book, she shut her eyes for a moment. The danger of shock had passed, in all the chaos. Now she was just cold, even in a carriage full of people. She could feel the ache of bruises forming along one arm, and grimaced. That was going to require at least a herbal remedy, if not a trip to a pharmacy to find ointment tomorrow. 

Tomorrow. Not even something she wanted to contemplate right now. Not something she was sure she even could. Her mind seemed to catch then, playing a loop of the plume of green blazing in her head, over and over. Leigh hunched forward, palms of her hands coming to meet her eyes to form a pressure that focused and stilled the mind for a moment. She sighed, sat up, and rubbed her face. Time to focus on something, anything else. She opened her eyes, and scanned the carriage.

Passengers sleeping where they could, some sat on the floor. Someone who could have been her neighbour Jessie, but she couldn’t be too certain. A wiry looking blonde man crossing through the carriage with a sword strapped to him that looked comically large until he’d passed her. Then it looked dangerous. A larger man in a white shirt looking down at the floor of the carriage, seeming to seek something internally.

And then another pair of dark eyes, equally exhausted, meeting her gaze from under thick brows. A shock of dark hair scattering in several directions above a red bandanna. The eyes widened, and she gave a lopsided smile as she called out to the familiar figure.

“You know, it’s rude to stare.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This had been sat in my drafts pretty much complete for well over a month, it turns out I am just bad at remembering to upload things.
> 
> Chapter 3 coming soon...ish?

**Author's Note:**

> Here we are then!
> 
> So uh, not my finest work I don’t think, but I’m not focusing on making it the best it can be, I just want it to exist right now. The unfamiliar members of AVALANCHE are actually pulled from Barret’s resolution scene in Chapter 14 of REMAKE. I really like the idea that there’s more unknown members of this particular cell and wanted to show that here. 
> 
> Despite the immense thirst for Biggs that I see on Twitter, I'm sad that there aren't a whole bunch more fics for this man, so as they say "Be the change you wish to see in the world."
> 
> Also, I heckin’ love a good meet-cute I do.
> 
> I do have other chapters in various states of write up, I'm just intending to keep them as a buffer for now. See you on the road chums!


End file.
